By Amy Nicholson

Old-fashioned comedy, catchy show tunes and happy endings are all part of the show "Lucky Stiff," opening at Heritage Theatre in Perry this weekend.

Jacob Thompson of Deweyville is directing the show, which he saw for the first time about 10 years ago. "It is fun and fresh," he said.

Thompson said he caught the bug for acting and directing a little later in life than most. Although he had played the part of an orphan in a production of "Oliver" at the age of 8, and participated in high school choir, he didn't re-enter the theater arena again until he was 21.

"The theater has a unique way of entertaining, educating and enlightening people. Some shows leave a mark on your spirit. Others help you relax," Thompson said.

"Lucky Stiff" is more along the lines of pure entertainment, he said.

Thompson believes the lighthearted storyline is just what audiences are craving during current tough economic times.

"I like to see the vision that I have unfold on the stage. It's not something made with my hands like other art mediums, but it is still something to be proud of," he said of the directing experience.

The cast has 10 characters, five principal actors, four actors who play several more minor characters, and one actor playing a dead guy for the duration.

The plot

As the plot unfolds, lead character Harry Witherspoon, a shy shoe salesman from England, receives word that a distant uncle has been shot and killed. He has left his estate of $6 million to Harry, but only if Harry follows his instructions.

Harry is told that his uncle would never miss a vacation for anything, not even death, and his final wish was to take a trip to Monte Carlo.

In "Weekend at Bernie's" fashion, Harry hauls the corpse around in a wheelchair, irritated by the things he must do, but also liberated from his boring life and excited to be on an adventure.

If Harry, played by Brett Johnson of Layton, fails to carry out his uncle's wishes, the $6 million will go to a charity that benefits dogs.

Sarah Johnson, who in real life is married to Brett Johnson, plays the part of Annabel Glick, a sweet charity worker who shows up on Harry's adventure, determined to watch his every move and take the money if he makes a mistake.

The Johnsons met while singing in a show choir at Utah State University. The two married 10 years ago and have three sons, ages 7, 4 and 1.

Both enjoy acting and try to do at least one show per year despite their busy family life.

"Theater is our hobby. We try to get away and do it whenever we can," Sarah Johnson said.

The play is a fun one, she said: "It has a little twist and a fun ending you'd never expect."

Playing together

Another couple, Bree Hoskisson and Derek Hendricks of Roy, are also cast in the show. The two have been dating for the past five years and frequently appear in shows together, participating in about five shows each per year.

Hoskisson plays Rita, a hard-edged chain smoker from New York who totes a gun and is determined to get her hands on the $6 million she says was stolen from her.

She pulls her brother, Vinnie Di Ruzzio, a quiet optometrist played by Hendricks, into the plot and spends a lot of time pushing him around.

Hoskisson is currently pursuing a musical theater degree at Weber State University, and Hendricks earned his associate's degree in theater from Western Wyoming Community College.

"We have a song together. It is the first time we've gotten to sing onstage -- just the two of us," Hoskisson said.

the original story can be found here.

By J. Michael Call

Utah musical theater lovers may have already heard Clinton native J. Michael Bailey sing the moving number “Bring Him Home” from the megahit musical “Les Misérables.”

But now audiences from Utah and beyond will have a chance to hear him sing not only that number, but all of Jean Valjean’s songs. Bailey has been selected to play the leading role in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s upcoming production of the epic musical.

“It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Bailey said. “Now I get to own the role for up to six months, and it’s quite a thrill for me.”

After conducting a national casting search in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, artistic directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn announced Bailey’s selection this week. They were familiar with Bailey’s work as he was in the festival’s 2009-10 acting company. Bailey played Jaggers in the premiere of the musical “Great Expectations” that season at the Cedar City festival.

In considering Bailey for the role of Valjean, the festival flew Bailey to Las Vegas and had him sing through the entire score.

“We needed to know if J. Michael had the vocal strength and range to withstand the demands of this show, and he nailed it,” said Ivers in a press release.

Bailey, who lives in North Salt Lake, grew up on a small farm in Clinton, where he played football and rode horses. He was 18 when he saw his first production of “The Phantom of the Opera” and fell in love with the theater. He studied musical theater at Weber State University and now has over 20 years of experience acting and singing all over the state.

In addition to the festival, the actor with the melodic baritone has appeared in numerous concerts and theatrical productions along the Wasatch Front. Bailey was the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in “Sweeney Todd” at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. He was recently the Cowardly Lion in Grand Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” in which his wife, Mary Anderson Bailey, played the Wicked Witch of the West.

WSU audiences will also recognize him as Capt. Hook in “Peter Pan” and John Wilkes Booths in “Assassins”

Bailey also appeared for three years with a small group of other performers in the Broadway-style Valentine’s concerts at WSU. Bailey’s performance of “Bring Him Home” during those concerts always won enthusiastic applause.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, “Les Misérables” is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. It focuses on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean as he searches for meaning, love and redemption in 19th-century France.

“I am so grateful that the festival is trusting me to play Jean Valjean,” said Bailey, who is the father of three children. “I feel a strong attachment to Valjean because of the passion and sacrifices he’s willing to make for his child. ‘Les Misérables’ is the ultimate love story with justice, redemption, forgiveness, truth and hope; what more could an actor ask for?”

The musical includes some of theater’s most memorable songs: “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home” and “Do You Hear the People Sing,” among others.

Written and composed by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, “Les Misérables” is the world’s longest-running musical. It will be playing in the festival’s Randall L. Jones Theatre from June 23 to October 20. The show may be extended, Bailey said, depending on audience support.

For more information or to buy tickets call 1-800-PLAYTIX or check online at www.bard.org.

The original story can be found here.

By Ben Fulton

The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Mar 14 2012 03:04 pm • Last Updated Mar 14 2012 03:04 pm

Similar to Emile Zola’s Germinal, John Sayles’ "Matewan" and Elia Kazan’s "On the Waterfront," "The Cradle Will Rock" is a classic of working-class drama and literature. A classic, except for the fact that some people still know nothing about it.

Marc Blitzstein’s 1937 story of Larry Foreman’s attempts to unionize workers in "Steeltown, USA" in opposition to Mr. Mister sounds almost cartoonish in its outline, but impressed Orson Welles so much that he directed it as part of the Federal Theatre Project’s series of works that began as a program of the Works Progress Administration to employ unemployed artists, actors and theater writers during the Depression. The WPA, in turn, was so alarmed by unabashed political message behind Blitzstein’s drama that they tried to shut it down. Weber State University’s department of performing arts has selected "The Cradle Will Rock" both for its superlative qualities that stand alone, matched with its current relevance to the Occupy movement.

Trent Cox, director of this production, stated in press materials that the hand of German dramatist Bertolt Brecht guided his hand. "Ninety percent of the show is either sung or has musical underscoring—a great challenge," Cox notes.

‘The Cradle Will Rock’
When » March 23-31, 7:30 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinee March 31.
Where » Eccles Theater at Val A. Browning Center for the Arts, Weber State University, 3848 Harrison Blvd, Ogden
Tickets » $8-$11. Call 1-800-WSU-TIKS or visit www.weberstatetickets.com for more information. 

Original Article can be found here.

Two musicians from Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City were chosen to be on NPR's "From the Top," a nationally broadcast showcase for young musicians.

Aubree Oliverson, 13, played the violin and Anastasia Magomedova, 14, played the piano to the third movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto to a live audience on March 8 at Weber State University.

"They play at an extremely high level," said Eugene Watanabe, the director of the Gifted Music School. "What makes them special is they're both capable of playing at a near professional level. It's a result of years of training and hard work."

"From the Top" features some of the most talented youths from around the country, and the two were chosen from hundreds of applicants.

They recorded a one-hour live performance with other young performers. The performance will be broadcast in a month, nationally on NPR and locally on KBYU-FM.

At the program, Magomedova, who emigrated from Tajikistan with her family, received a $10,000 scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship fund.

The two have also performed as soloists in the past with the Utah Symphony, and Oliverson will return to do it again in May.

— Tori Ackerman

Original article and photo can be found here

Accusations of witchcraft and McCarthyism may be relics of the past, but fear is still a factor in this post-9/11 world.

The power of fear is one of the driving forces in Arthur Miller's award-winning play "The Crucible," opening March 7 at the Grand Theatre on the Salt Lake Community College campus.

The play, which won the 1953 Tony award for best play, takes place during the Puritan era and dramatizes the hysteria and frenzy surrounding the Salem witch trials. Miller famously wrote the play as an allegory of the McCarthyism of the 1950s.

"It's the idea of what-does-fear-do-to-us," said Ogden native and actor Tyson Richard Baker, who is playing the Rev. John Hale in the production. "At what point do we draw the line, where we're starting to suspect our neighbors and suspect people that we've known all of our lives? What do we do in those situations?"

Hale is a well-respected minister with a reputation as an expert on witchcraft, Baker explained. He comes to Salem to lend his expertise when a young girl is unable to move in her bed and the villagers suspect witchcraft.

"The town kind of looks to him as the go-to guy to try to fix their problem," Baker said. "He's someone the audience can follow and empathize with really easy, because he is on the same journey of being introduced to this madness of the girls claiming that everybody's a witch."

The girl and a group of her friends are making the accusations because they are trying to hide a secret about themselves. As the frenzy escalates, the Salem witch trials begin and, ultimately, some of the townspeople are found guilty and executed.

Hale is largely responsible for whipping up the furor in the town and pushing for the trials.

Director Mark Fossen and the actors are trying to convey to audiences how real the fear of witchcraft was during the Puritan era and how that affected their behavior.

"Everything that he has ever known as a preacher, and as one who has studied the signs of witchcraft, these signs of witchcraft are pointing to 'yes,' and it's freaking him out," Baker said.

However, Hale begins to realize his folly and later struggles to persuade the accused "witches" to lie by confessing so they can live, rather than tell the truth and die.

"He sees that there is something innately good about the people who are being convicted," Baker said. "It is an inner torment for him."

A student of the play

Baker, who lives in Liberty, is working on a theater arts degree at Weber State University. Audiences will recognize the actor from recent roles as an apostle in "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Park City, Friar Laurence in "Romeo and Juliet" at WSU, and the summer season of the Old Lyric Repertory Theater Company in Logan.

A Baker not only in name but also by present occupation at the Great Harvest Bread Company on Historic 25th Street in Ogden, Baker is hoping to someday work as a full-time actor.

"I work in the early mornings so I can do theater at night, and hopefully will one day will be able to just act," he said.

Baker has studied "The Crucible" throughout the course of his education and was originally drawn to the role of John Proctor, the protagonist of the play who is accused of witchcraft and eventually faces the gallows.

But Baker said he has enjoyed fleshing out the part of the conflicted reverend.

One of his favorite lines comes in the final act as Hale tries to atone for his actions.

"Life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it," Hale says in the play.

Like his character, Baker came to the role with "newbie eyes" and has dived into the play along with the rest of the cast of 19, which includes Cassandra Stokes-Wylie as Elizabeth Proctor, David Hanson as John Proctor, Sahara Hayes as Abigail Williams and Max Robinson as Judge Danforth.

Other Utah favorites in the cast include Ron Frederickson, Richard Scharine, Stephen Williams, Toni Byrd, Barb Smith and Jon McBride.

"Everyone else in the show has really brought their A game, and I felt that from the get-go," Baker said. "People may have preconceived notions about what 'The Crucible' is, but they will find something entirely new with this one because everyone in the cast is very, very talented, and I'm really excited to be able to see how that comes across with the audience."

Related reading

In addition to the show, the Grand Theatre presents a free lecture by Joseph McCarthy scholar David Oshinsky, who discusses his 1983 book "A Conspiracy So Immense: The World of Joe McCarthy" and how it relates to the theater's production of "The Crucible."

Ochinsky will be speaking at noon March 7 in the Oak Room at the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville/Redwood Campus, 4600 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City.

Prior to Wednesday's opening performance, Ochinsky will continue the conversation at 6 p.m. on the Grand Theatre stage in a question-and-answer session moderated by two SLCC faculty members.

The discussion will focus on Oshinsky's insight about the McCarthy era and how it influenced Miller and other artists of the time.

The events with Oshinsky are free and open to the public. 

OGDEN — Utah Opera’s upcoming “The Elixir of Love” puts a Western spin on Gaetano Donizetti’s Italian classic opera, and the Ogden Opera Guild will present a sneak peek of the show this week at Weber State University.

The preview presentation begins at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the Browning Center’s Garrison Choral Room (Room 134) on campus, 3848 Harrison Blvd. Admission is free.

The reimagined rendition tells the tale of a timid ranch hand named Nemorino, who can’t get up the nerve to declare his love for a sassy cowgirl who goes by the name of Adina. When a rival appears on the scene, Nemorino uses a magic elixir to give him the courage to find romance.

The guild will present a shortened version of the show, with several resident Utah Opera artists participating. The artists include baritone John Buffett, soprano Jennie Litster, mezzo-soprano Sishel Claverie, tenor Andrew Penning and pianist Daveth Clark. The presentation is made possible through a RAMP grant.

Utah Opera presents “The Elixir of Love” March 10-18 at Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $16 to $85, available through ArtTix or by calling 888-451-ARTS (2787).

The original article can be found here.

By David Burger

Utah Public Radio’s newest program will be taped in front of a live audience in Utah on March 8.

In January UPR began airing the classical music program, "From the Top," twice a week. The show is a NPR-produced radio program.

Weber State University in Ogden is hosting a taping of the show on March 8, to be broadcast nationally in April 2012.

Host Christopher O’Riley will present performances by talented young musicians on the stage at Weber State University’s Browning Center for the Performing Arts.

"From the Top" is an hour-long program showcasing five high-caliber performances along with interviews, sketches and games. Taped before live audiences in concert halls from Boston to Honolulu, the show is now in its 12th broadcast year.

Utah Public Radio recently added "From the Top" to its list of classical music offerings, airing the program Friday afternoons at 2 p.m. with a repeat Sundays at 9 p.m.

A complete list of programs and station frequencies is posted online at www.upr.org, where visitors can also listen to a live stream of "From the Top" and other NPR programs.

In Ogden, listeners can hear UPR on 89.5 FM.

The event is open to the public and tickets are available at www.weberstatetickets.com or by calling 801-626-8500.

Utah Public Radio, a service of Utah State University, is Utah’s oldest public radio service and a member station of National Public Radio.

The original story can be found here.

OGDEN — Usually, kids stay home on a snow day. But Weber State University is inviting families to school for a Snow Day.

Familiarte/Snow Days at the Shaw starts at 10 a.m. Saturday in the university’s Shaw Gallery. During the two-hour program, families are invited to tour the current art exhibit and then create their own arts and crafts.

Familiarte/Snow Days at the Shaw is free, and hosted in both English and Spanish. The Shaw Gallery is in the Kimball Visual Arts Center on campus, 3848 Harrison Blvd.

For more information, call 801-626-7689.

Kimball Visual Arts Center, WSU
3848 Harrison Blvd.
Ogden

When: 10 a.m.-noon the first Saturday of the month, through March.

Admission: Free. 

The original article can be found here.

By Briana Drandakis,
the Signpost 

The story of a two-faced hustler took center stage in the Browning Center’s Allred Theater last Friday as Weber State University’s theater department debuted its spring show, Tartuffe.

“Tartuffe is the name of the main character, and for a long time it was actually synonymous with a con man,” said Jennifer A. Kokai, the director of the show.

Kokai, a new theater professor at WSU this year, was given the play to direct unexpectedly from another professor. She took the show, a classic French comedy written by Moliere, and gave it a southern twist by turning it into a post-Civil War medicine show.

“What you would have is people would pull into town in a wagon, and they’d do all kinds of different entertainment and singing and dancing,” Kokai said. “They would do a free show and try to sell people patent medicines.”

The idea sprung from a joke about setting the Tartuffe show in a wagon. When the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival went on several weeks ago on campus, it had crossed into the cast’s rehearsal schedule, making them unable to have a large set. After Kokai had aligned the theme of a medicine show with the Tartuffe characters, a southern dialect was adapted into the original plot line, and the show was created.

They also added live music and dancing from the period in-between and passed out popcorn and their own medicine brand, named Draught of Dionysus, to the audience before and after the shows.

“That’s kind of what we’re playing with,” Kokai said. “We’re imagining that the actors are coming to town with the goal of selling you medicine, and they’re doing Tartuffe as a way of bringing you in to sell them to you.”

When rich gentleman Orgon takes in Tartuffe, a slick swindler wearing the mask of a pious beggar, he’s blinded by the man’s charms while his entire family is shaken by Tartuffe’s scheming ways. Orgon promises to wed his daughter Marianne to Tartuffe, even after she’s already been promised to the youth Valere, in order for divine blessings to fall on his household. Quite the opposite happens as Tartuffe makes advances toward Orgon’s wife behind his back and plans to blackmail him out of his house.

“It’s about getting swindled and false appearances I guess, and that’s something we’ve all dealt with in our lives,” said B.J. Whimpey, a WSU theater major senior who played the lead of Tartuffe. “Someone acts one way to your face, but behind your back, they’re completely different, and that’s basically what Tartuffe is.”

Whimpey enjoyed working with Kokai and her new vision for Tartuffe. He said that she let the cast create its own humorous details naturally as it coincided with her overall vision.

“Every single person brings something different to this show, and every single person is dedicated,” Whimpey said. “Every time everyone’s on stage, I’m just wowed by the talent in our department and how people change and grow and become better. I’m proud of every single person that’s cast, and I’d love to work with them one hundred times again.”

The show also featured student talent behind the scenes, including another WSU senior, Sean Bishop, who starred in last semester’s big show, Xanadu, but acted this semester as the Tartuffe’s main costume designer.

“I was going to graduate last year, and doing Tartuffe was one of the things that kept me here,” Bishop said.

Bishop stayed for an extra fifth year after being offered to costume the show. He said he believes it was challenging keeping to the director’s vision and also finding a way of incorporating himself and everyone else into the collaborative process.

“It’s been good for me to do this and stay because it’s given me confidence to know that I can do this,” Bishop said.

Bishop said that this was the first show with a specific period he has attempted to costume.

“I’ve been looking at some opportunities, and I feel a year ago I probably wouldn’t have been ready to do that,” Bishop said, “but I look at some shows that are coming up in the next year that will be out in the community, and I feel confident enough to apply for those jobs.”

Audience members enjoyed the southern adaptation to the classic French humor.

“I’ve read (the play), so I thought it was a really cool interpretation since it’s (originally) in French,” said Maria Leon, a WSU student who attended the show opening. “It’s kind of relate-able to see people who are deceived pretty easily, and it opens people’s eyes to con artists and televangelists and what not.”

The show will be running March 2, 3, 6-10, at 7:30 p.m. with also a 2:00 p.m. matinee on March 10. Tickets are $11, or $8 for WSU students at all shows. They are available in advance at Dee Events Center Tickets, 1-800-WSU-TIKS, weberstatetickets.com or at the door beginning one hour before the performance.

“Right now we’re in an election period where people are talking about who they are and what they stand for, but we are very cynical about our politicians,” Kokai said. “So the idea that there are people out there like Tartuffe who promise us great things, but they might be trying to fool us — that’s something we’re concerned about and can relate to.”

The original article can be found here.